Chapter 16: Shooting Hoops Match

Translator: CKtalon

“You’re in trouble. Once Jin Zhenhuan defeats you, I’m afraid he won’t let you live,” Bandit whispered after Li Xiu returned.

“Then I’ll just make him lose all the way,” Li Xiu answered.

Bandit shook her head and remained silent. She could tell that Jin Zhenhuan’s strengthening was stronger than hers. Repeatedly defeating him was easier said than done.

Li Xiu didn’t explain because the trial had already begun. People were teleported into the arena one after another to carry out the hoop-shooting trial.

The E-class trial was indeed relatively simple. All the people who went up first cleared the test. Unless they were especially unlucky, the mortality rate in such trials was very low.

Bandit took the test ahead of Li Xiu. She scored six out of ten and easily cleared the test.

When it was Jin Zhenhuan’s turn, he didn’t immediately throw the ball. He looked back at Li Xiu, who was outside the court. His eyes seemed to say: “Look carefully and see what a true trial-taker is.”

Swoosh!

The basketball shot into the net. Jin Zhenhuan’s shooting posture was beautiful, even better than a professional player’s.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

One after another, Jin Zhenhuan scored every throw. Furthermore, all of them entered the net with shocking accuracy.

All ten balls went in. Apart from two balls that touched the hoop a little, the rest went in cleanly. It was undoubtedly a professional’s standard.

A few more people passed. One of them was too nervous or perhaps his luck was too bad. He scored none of the ten balls, making him the first victim.

When it was Li Xiu’s turn, Jin Zhenhuan and Bandit paid him close attention.

Swoosh!

He scored a clean shot. Bandit was somewhat surprised. She never expected Li Xiu to be good at basketball.

Without any hesitation, Li Xiu immediately threw after receiving the ball. His actions were as beautiful as Jin Zhenhuan’s.

He scored all ten shots as well. All ten of Li Xiu’s balls entered the net without touching the hoop.

This was very simple for Li Xiu who had Absolute Order. Others could make mistakes, but not him. He could perfectly replicate the same trajectory for every ball without any deviation.

Jin Zhenhuan’s expression was a little ugly. He looked at Li Xiu who had returned to the spectator stands and said, “Continue on to the next round.”

“Of course.” Li Xiu directly responded to Jin Zhenhuan’s provocation.

“Very good.” Jin Zhenhuan didn’t say anything else. He turned his head and sat back on the steps, waiting for the next round to begin.

After this round of trials ended, other than the unlucky fellow, everyone else passed the trial.

Some people chose to remove the bracelet and quit, while others chose to continue.

Li Xiu felt the needle-pricking feeling from the bracelet. The body-strengthening effect was very weak. It was over without him feeling much of anything. The strengthening rewards of the E-class trial were clearly much weaker than the C-class.

In the second round, it was still free-throw shots. However, the standard was to score two goals to pass the trial.

Jin Zhenhuan scored all ten shots again. After he left the court, he even goaded, “Not only do trial-takers have to have a powerful physique, but they also have to have a powerful will and the spirit to constantly improve. I train for at least twelve hours a day for more than ten years, learning different techniques to prepare for different trials. What about you?”

“I’ve tried.” Li Xiu didn’t mind and said casually.

When it was Li Xiu’s turn, he scored all ten shots as well. Furthermore, all ten shots were clean. Jin Zhenhuan frowned when he saw this.

“I never expected you to be so proficient in basketball. Have you played basketball before?” Bandit was overjoyed as she whispered to Li Xiu.

“No, but they all involve balls. It’s roughly the same,” Li Xiu answered.

“Roughly the same?” Bandit was speechless.

Round after round of trials. The passing mark went from one ball, two balls, three balls, to eight and nine balls. People kept quitting the trials. Bandit had already quit when the passing mark was five balls.

When it came to the seventh ball, only Li Xiu and Jin Zhenhuan were left. The two of them had scored all the shots so far without missing a single one.

On the eighth shot, there was a problem with the angle of one of Jin Zhenhuan’s balls. The ball spun twice inside the hoop and fell out, causing Jin Zhenhuan’s expression to change slightly.

The next few shots went in again. Jin Zhenhuan looked at Li Xiu and realized that Li Xiu was still scoring perfect. They entered cleanly.

How is this possible! Is he a machine? How can he control the ball so precisely? Jin Zhenhuan was somewhat furious as he recalled the scene from back then.

He did his best trying to catch up to the youth back then, only to be left in the dust.

That extremely powerful talent gave Jin Zhenhuan deep despair and a sense of powerlessness. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t even come close.

Now, he remembered that feeling again—the fear of being dominated by powerlessness.

Talent is innate. No one can change it. However, we are on the trial grounds. As long as one works hard enough, they will definitely win. I will definitely win… With intense emotions, Jin Zhenhuan entered the next round of tests.

One had to score nine shots in this round to pass. Despite his surging emotions, not only was Jin Zhenhuan’s rhythm not disrupted, but he also became even more stable. He did a perfect 10 with every shot entering cleanly.

“It’s your turn.” Jin Zhenhuan turned his head proudly and looked at Li Xiu.

At this stage, Jin Zhenhuan believed that Li Xiu was under immense psychological pressure. It was impossible for him to maintain his previous stable state.

Yet, Jin Zhenhuan saw Li Xiu shooting without any hesitation the next moment. He shot the moment he received the ball.

In the end, it was still the same. All ten balls went in, and all ten were clean.

How is this possible! Jin Zhenhuan’s expression changed as he looked at Li Xiu’s back. The trauma hidden deep in him magnified, as though even Li Xiu’s back had become much taller.

It wasn’t surprising that Li Xiu could score all ten shots, but the problem was his lack of hesitation. He didn’t show any pressure. Such confidence increased the pressure on Jin Zhenhuan.

“The trials have ended. Rewards distributed. The next round of trials will begin after the countdown.”

Jin Zhenhuan stared intently at Li Xiu. At the last moment of the countdown, he removed the bracelet and left the trial.

He had to score all ten shots in the tenth round. Jin Zhenhuan wasn’t confident that he wouldn’t make any mistakes. He originally wanted to wait for Li Xiu to give up, but all he saw was Li Xiu’s calm face.

“Giving up once will open the gates to countless forfeitures. He failed to overcome his trauma after all.” Li Xiu seemed to have expected Jin Zhenhuan to give up as he muttered to himself in boredom.

Outside the blue stone gate, Jin Zhenhuan’s expression didn’t look good, but he consoled himself. This trial has a certain element of luck. It doesn’t showcase the true strength of the trial-taker at all. There’s no need to compete with him in luck. In the true trial of strength in the future, I’ll use my absolute strength to crush him.

Bandit was alarmed when she saw Jin Zhenhuan come out instead of Li Xiu.

However, when she realized that the trial hadn’t ended, she was even more surprised. Li Xiu won. Jin Zhenhuan actually gave up!